


The Fear You Won't Fall

by AmberLehcar



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-22
Updated: 2013-05-22
Packaged: 2017-12-12 15:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/812990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberLehcar/pseuds/AmberLehcar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine's Day finds Soul struggling with his feelings for Maka. Loosely based on the song "The Fear You Won't Fall".</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fear You Won't Fall

The sound of pans being clanked together tears him from his slumber. A crimson eyes cracks open reluctantly and glances at the alarm clock next to his bed. Eight in the morning. His partner let him sleep in just a little before rudely waking him up. He runs a hand through his hand and sighs. He knows she didn't mean to wake him up. But now he is curious as to why she is busying herself in the kitchen. Quietly, Soul slips out of bed and pads over to his door.

The kitchen is within his line of sight and so is Maka. She hums a happy little tune to herself as she prepares what appears to be pancakes. Suddenly, as she leans over to retrieve something from the lower cabinets, she disappears behind a giant stuffed teddy bear carrying a heart balloon and an equally gigantic card that had been set in the middle of the hallway. The card reads in large letters: "A bear hug for you, Valentine! Love, Papa!"

The scythe wonders how he'd slept through Spirit stopping by to drop off his present to his daughter. One would think it would end in disaster. But Maka seems to be in high spirits, either in spite of or because of the encounter with her father, and Soul doesn't object. It's nice to see her in a good mood. Not that she usually isn't, it's just that he tends to be in a better mood when she is feeling her best.

For a while, he'd just blamed it on their bonded wavelengths. Whatever she felt, he felt, too. But as hours became days and days became years, he slowly realized that one person's happiness can affect another's in a strange way. A smile on her lips causes one to tug at his own. She is elated by something and he can feel his own heart burst with joy. It isn't their wavelengths anymore. It's her. It's everything about her.

Soul had traveled to many places prior to meeting Maka. Any one of those places could have been called home. But nothing has ever felt like home before her. And he doesn't want to call any place home if it doesn't have her there. Whenever he can't feel the comforting hum of her wavelength, he misses her terribly. Probably more than he should. It's most likely the cheesiest thing he's ever thought, but he doesn't care anymore. He's given up on pretending. Soul Evans, the cool guy, the guy who could have any woman in the world, wants Maka Albarn and no one else.

The scythe sneaks back to his room and flings his pillow off of his bed. Lying where his pillow once was is a heart-shaped locket. His long piano fingers run along the thin chain attached to the gold locket and gingerly pick it up. He slowly pries the clasp open to reveal a handwritten message: "Will you go out with me?"

He sighs and closes the locket, clutching it to his forehead in his fist. What if she never opens the locket? What if she does and can't give him a yes? And therein lies the beauty of falling in love with someone. It is the fear they won't fall.

"Soul!" Maka calls happily. "Wake up, sleepyhead! Time for breakfast! I managed to make the pancakes heart-shaped for Valentine's Day!"

"Coming!" he replies, tugging on a hoodie and shoving the locket in his pocket.

...

The heart-shaped pancakes are actually kind of cute in Soul's opinion, not that he'd tell her that. Reluctantly, he cuts up his breakfast and shovels it into his mouth. "Nice bear," he says, his mouth full as he waves his fork in the direction of her gift in the hallway.

"Uhhh... yeah... Papa stopped by earlier," Maka replies. "He wasn't a complete spazz like usual. He just kinda dropped it off and left. Guess he wanted me to enjoy my quiet morning. Though, to be honest, I wouldn't mind hanging out with him today. I don't really have anything planned, you know? Valentine's Day is pretty boring when you're single..."

Soul nearly chokes on the food in his mouth. This is his chance, he has to take it. Regaining his composure, the scythe places a hand in his pocket and lightly fingers the smooth metallic finish of the locket. "No one else has any plans...?" he asks her, half because he is actually curious and half because he's stalling for time.

"Black Star and Tsubaki are going to a nice restaurant and Kid is making Liz and Patty rearrange all the Valentine's Day décor at his house," she explains. "The asymmetry is bothering him I guess. Liz says it's pretty bad if even one heart isn't perfectly symmetrical down the middle. I know Patty bought confetti, so I can only imagine the hissy-fit Kid is throwing right now!"

Both laugh at this, but soon their laughter fades away into an awkward silence. Maka senses his unease through his wavelength and his fidgeting. "Is everything okay, Soul...?" she questions, tilting her head to the side like a puppy.

He blushes slightly and slowly takes his clenched fist from his pocket. "I... got you something..." he says, turning his head away from her as his blush deepens. Her fingers just barely graze his hand, signaling that her palm is below his fist and he can let go of whatever is held within his hand. The locket falls into her small hands suddenly.

She remains silent except for a small gasp of wonder. She traces a finger along the curves of the heart and gives a sweet smile. She would hug him if there was no table in the way. "Soul... it's beautiful..." she whispers.

Still turned away from her, his eyes fixated on her reaction, he tells her, "Open it. There's... something important inside..."

Finally she is able to open the locket. A hand comes up to cover her mouth. Her head jerks back and forth from the message in her hand to the writer. "Happy Valentine's Day?" he offers meekly, now turned to face her.

He braces himself for disappointment but instead finds himself and his chair being toppled over. Forget the table, nothing will stop her from wrapping her arms around him. "Yes! Yes, I thought you'd never ask!" she answers his message.

He holds her tight and thanks his lucky stars that she said yes...

...

"I know it's easy to say, but it's harder to feel this way..."


End file.
